1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine and more particularly to a gaming machine which enables the operator and/or player to select the form of pay out from the machine before cash out; either by coin or ticket, and allows a ticket to be accepted for wagers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various gaming machines are known in which pay outs are made either in coin or by way of a ticket. Examples of gaming machines with coin pay outs are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,475,564; 4,518,001; 4,574,824; 4,978,322; and 6,003,651. Such coin operated machines normally include a coin hopper in which coins are collected and transferred to a transport system. Transport systems are known which include a rotating pinwheel for segregating individual coins and transporting the coins to a coin dispenser for pay out. Coin dispensing is under the control of a microprocessor. When a payout is indicated, a counter is used for counting the coins to be dispensed.
There are several problems with such coin operated machines. For example, various mechanical problems are known with such machines. One of these problems relates to coins jamming in the machine. In order to resolve this problem, various mechanical solutions have been developed, for example, as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,518,001 and 4,574,824. Another known problem with such coin operated gaming machines is the ability to accurately detect the correct number of coins dispensed for a pay out. Various mechanical and electronic systems have been developed for resolving this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,564 relates to an improved mechanical design which improves the accuracy of the coin pay outs. In addition, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,651 relates to an electronic sensing system for sensing when the correct number of coins have been paid out.
In addition to those problems, coin operated machines require significant amount of maintenance due to the relatively complicated mechanical mechanism used to accept and pay out coins. As such, there is a trend toward cashless gaming machines, for example, as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,265,874 and 5,326,104. In such cashless gaming machines, tickets rather than coins may be used for both playing the game as well as pay outs. Unfortunately, the transition from coin operated machines to cashless gaming machines is difficult for many players used to the older coin operated machines. Thus, there is a need for a gaming machine which helps players transition from the older coin operated machines to the newer cashless gaming machines.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus, comprising: a video display that is capable of generating video images; a value input device; a hopper; and a cashless payout apparatus. The gaming apparatus is programmed to determine a player cash out amount and to determine if the cashless payout apparatus is available for the player cash out amount. The gaming apparatus is also programmed to compare the player cash out amount to a coin pay limit and to determine if a split pay option is available if the player cash out amount is greater than the coin pay limit. Additionally, the gaming apparatus is programmed to pay to a player a first amount equal to the coin pay limit from the hopper and to pay to the player d second amount equal to the player cash out amount minus the coin pay limit utilizing the cashless payout apparatus, if the split pay option is available.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus, comprising: a video display that is capable of generating video images; a value input device; a hopper; and a cashless payout apparatus. The gaming apparatus is programmed to determine a player cash out amount and to determine if a split pay option is available. The gaming apparatus is also programmed to receive a distribution input from a player corresponding to the player cash out amount if the split pay option is available, wherein the distribution input is a portion of the player cash out amount that the player wants to receive from the hopper. Additionally, the gaming apparatus is programmed to pay to the player a first amount equal to the distribution amount from the hopper and to pay to the player a second amount equal to the player cash out amount minus the distribution amount utilizing the cashless payout apparatus, if the split pay option is available.